Listen to Bananagun's new single "The Master" which is streaming everywhere now. You can also watch a video for the single here. Bananagun's debut album, The True Story of Bananagun, is due out on June 26th via Full Time Hobby.
Regarding the track, bandleader Nick van Bakel stated: "The Master is kind of about evacuating yourself from the absurd but typical life of working your arse into the ground for someone else and how no matter where you’re working or how high up the ladder you are in that world, there's always a person up higher bossing you around or someone you’re trying to please. I just hate when people flex too much and don't respect people; that’s what the majority of people deal with their whole life. It's miserable and there’s no room for stuff to blossom. The trash that’s suggested in school, movies, and everything; have all your milestones planned out. You wanna make god laugh tell him you've got your life planned!"
Hailing from Melbourne, but with a sound stretching from 60s and 70s Afrobeat and exotica, the proto-garage rhythmic fury of The Monks and the grooves of Os Mutantes, there’s an enticing lost world exoticism to the music of Bananagun. It’s the sort of stuff that could’ve come from a dusty record crate of hidden gems; yet as the punchy, colourfully vibrant pair of sold out singles Do Yeah and Out of Reach have proven over the past 12 months, the band are no revivalists. On debut album The True Story of Bananagun, they make a giant leap forward with their outward-looking blend of global tropical psychedelia.
The True Story of Bananagun marks the group’s first full foray into writing and recording as a complete five piece band, having originally germinated in the bedroom ideas and demos of guitarist, vocalist and flautist Nick van Bakel. The multi-instrumentalist grew up on skate videos, absorbing the hip-hop beats that soundtracked them - taking on touchstones like Self Core label founder Mr. Dibbs and other early 90’s turntablists.
Van Bakel was joined first by cousin Jimi Gregg on drums – the pair’s shared love of the Jungle Book apparently made him a natural fit – and the rest of the group are friends first and foremost, put together as a band because of a shared emphasis on keeping things fun. Jack Crook (guitar/vocals), Charlotte Tobin (djembe/percussion) and Josh Dans (bass) complete the five-piece and between them there’s a freshness and playful spontaneity borne out of late night practice jams and hangs at producer John Lee’s Phaedra Studios in Melbourne.
The band’s seemingly innocuous name has an underlying message of connectivity that matches the universality of the music. “It’s like non-violent combat! Or the guy who does a stick up, but it’s just a banana, not a gun, and he tells the authorities not to take themselves too seriously.”
ICYMI: stream their last single "People Talk Too Much" here which was recently featured on the BBC 6 Music playlist.
“Melbourne 5 piece who dress like Os Mutantes and dance like Bobby Gillespie, but their grooves areimpeccable. Let the sunshine in.”– MOJO
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